Carlos Camarena, LSCSW

Carlos Camarena is a licensed social worker with three decades of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and substance concerns. He uses straightforward conversation to identify what is most troubling and practical steps to address it. Carlos emphasizes respect and clear listening in every session.

He began his helping work in 1980 as a case manager supporting people with serious physical disabilities. After earning a Master of Social Work in 1991 he worked in county mental health programs serving people with severe mental illness and homelessness. Those roles gave him wide experience with depression, PTSD, anxiety, and thought disorders.

Carlos describes himself as a generalist who draws on several approaches to fit the person in front of him. He focuses on real-life habits and thinking patterns, and on finding small changes that add up. He aims to teach coping skills that lower daily distress and improve sleep, relationships, and self-esteem.

Sessions tend to be pragmatic and person-centered. The therapist pays attention to what a person already does well and builds from there. He also works with people facing grief, career stress, intimacy issues, and compassion fatigue.

Over his career Carlos has learned that respect, listening, and responsiveness are central to progress. He works to meet each person where they are and to help them find workable solutions for everyday problems.

How approaches map to online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and responding to what each person needs. In this approach the therapist follows the person’s lead, reflects concerns, and helps them name priorities and next steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts and everyday habits that maintain distress and teaches clear tools to change those patterns step by step. Solution-Focused Therapy zeroes in on small, practical changes and on building what already works in someone’s life.

Picking the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss needs, goals, and preferences and recommend strategies that fit the person. Together they check what works and adjust the plan as therapy continues.

The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm available online options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, avoid travel time, and keep continuity during life transitions. Many people find remote sessions helpful for short check-ins, learning new skills, or working through grief and stress while keeping therapy practical and focused on daily habits.